My Wish For You

The one thing I want for all of you, my tribe, my guild and my people, is your believe in yourself. I want you to value your thoughts, opinions, feelings and the work you put out and put forth into the world. I want you to begin to take every word, every idea, every imagination as viable and valuable.

There is something prolific that happens when a writer believes in themselves; when they have other people believe in them. The process of creation gets easier, more accessible and they can more easily find their voice.

My wish for you, my tribe, my guild, my people, is that you write. I want you to write and keep writing, and not stymie creativity when it comes. I want you to write.

This time, when you write, I want you to believe you can.

Encouragement Pages-12/02/2019

There are 29 days until the end of the year.

You have 29 days to start, revamp, revise and rewrite your WIP or begin another one!

Don’t make the mistake of trying to put off the writing due to the lateness of the hour. There will never be a great time to write. That is why you make time to write.

Make the time.

Take the time.

Make up the time.

Get to work.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Encouragement Pages 11/29/2019

Writing is one of the few professions were merit is your credit. Where your ability to honor the others that come before you, allows you to increase your influence and networking.

One of the worst things you can have as a writer is ‘bad credit.’ The worst thing you can be labeled as is a writer that takes work without credit, or publishes other people’s work as your own, or whom is known to not ‘own your own pen.’

I know the process of writing can be hard, it can be thankless, and an easy out can [seem to be] plagiarism.

Don’t fall for that trap. You can do better.

Don’t ruin your writer credit.

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

Note: The topic of ‘bad credit’ as a writer will be discussed is Season 2 of The Writers’ Block Podcast–which resumes on December 5, 2019.

Encouragement Pages-11/27/2019

When I was in elementary school, my teachers from third to fifth grade, when it was time to take a test, would say:

“Eyes on your own paper.”

This piece of advice can be translated to writers. Your work, is your work. It is powered by your own imagination, your own talent and merit. Don’t short change what you are creating because you may be unsure about its outcome!

Work your work!

You can do it!

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris

…Give Thanks

There is a rhyme and reason to creativity; this thrusting of magic and letters and colors to make the world better.

Not everyone can do it!

There are people in the world that desire such creativity, and are devoid of it. They copy it, and never have one original thought. But you, dear one? You, my fellow oracles/writers/storytellers, there are worlds inside of you.

Universes.

Peoples.

Languages.

Lovers.

The doubts are to be acknowledged and released–never held or kept. If they are kept, they become weights and anchors.

Be brave, dear ones.

Write.

Encouragement Pages-11/22/2019-The Wisdom Of James Arthur Baldwin (3)

Every writer has their own niche, a lens by and through which they see and process the world.

This is can be a non-fiction lens, fiction, satire, prose or poetry.

Your lens is your lens!

Don’t get caught up in trying to mimic someone else’s take, or voice. Develop your own. This is what makes your voice–your lens–powerful. This is what will make your work distinct!

Don’t–Never fear your lens. Only adjust it.

As any good teacher will tell you: Eyes on your own paper, do your own work.

Get to it!

With Love & Ink,

JBHarris